York

We set off for York before 10 am this morning and encountered major traffic problems about half way there. Not sure what the delay was as we never saw an accident or anything. Just stopped for about 15 minutes and then crawling along to Grissom Bar Car Park where parked the car and caught a bus into York. We've done this for the last three or four trips we've taken into York and find it much easier than trying to park the car downtown anywhere. Another sunny day again in Filey when we set out but we did hit some foggy patches on our way inland.

The Shambles

We were very surprised at the amount of road work and construction going on in the old part of the city. Lots of scaffolding up on the huge Minister as has been the case for the last four years. They were digging up the road at the entrance to The Shambles and putting in gas pipes I think, so that was all barricaded off too.

The Shambles (official name Shambles) is an old street in York, England, with overhangingtimber-framed buildings, some dating back as far as the fourteenth century. It was once known as The Great Flesh Shambles, probably from the Anglo-SaxonFleshammels (literally 'flesh-shelves'), the word for the shelves that butchers used to display their meat. As recently as 1872 there were twenty-five butchers' shops in the street but now there are none.

Chris & Inge. Popped in and out of the shops as we walked along while I photographed whatever caught my eye. There was an outdoor food fair that looked interesting but it was crammed with lunch time crowds from all the local businesses so we just looked as we walked by. We grabbed some lunch at the Punch Bowl Pub on Stonegate. My ploughman's lunch was pretty good as was Chris's fish & chips. Mum finished all her lunch as well.

Chris found a wild bird display in one of the alleys. There were a number owls tethered to perches and on display in a effort to raise money for some cause. This fellow caught my eye but was more interested in watching people walk by than posing for his photo.

Lady Peckett’s Yard runs south-east from Pavement and is connected to Fossgate by a lane at right angles. The present name, from Alice Peckett, wife of John Peckett, Lord Mayor of York in 1701, who died in 1759, was used by 1782 and originally referred to the open space into which the lanes led. Their earlier names may have been Bacus gail (the north west to south east lane) and Trichour gail (that leading to Fossgate), first recorded in 1312 and 1301 respectively and meaning Bake-house and Cheat’s Lane. One of these may also have been called Osmond Lane in 1410.

We started heading back to our car around 2:30 pm and were soon back on our way to the east coast. Traffic was slow again but not as bad as it was this morning. We popped into Morrison's in Eastfield for groceries and petrol (gas) on the way home and were back in Filey just after 5 pm. Another busy day of sightseeing. Inge did fine. My father always said she could walk miles as long as there were shops to pop in and out of along the way.

Rest day tomorrow most likely as it is supposed to be cloudy. I have some forms to fill out for my mother to receive OAS which she never applied for when she turned 65. Who knew? We also need to sort out the gas connection to her home with Scottish Power.